FicWad

Chapter 6

I started avoiding the guys completely, looking for ridiculously lame excuses like catching up on things I had never studied or doing extra work. It had been a week since ‘the Mikey incident’ and I wasn’t planning on making drama or anything, I simply didn’t want to be around any of them out of shame.
It was pretty hard avoiding Mikey since he did have my exact schedule. I think what kept him away from me was this gigantic black eye he had the day after the fiasco. The bell rang and I picked my books up, quickly stepping into the hall.
Where should I go eat this time? I had been changing eating spots everyday so that there was no way in hell I could see any of the guys. I decided to sit below some trees in front of the football field, I was damn sure they were not going to be anywhere near there. I sat below this gigantic tree and pulled out a granola bar. I didn’t eat them because they were low carbs but just because they taste wonderfully. I was watching some guys from my class throw the ball around when I heard a sigh and steps approaching.
Without thinking I looked up. Hazel. A sketch of a smile on his lips, and then he gained composure.
“Hey” I said casually, returning my interest to the field.
“Why are you hiding?” He asked in a cool, almost uninterested voice.
“You must have a pretty good idea” I responded, taking a bite of the granola.
“What makes you think that?” He asked after blowing some smoke out of his mouth in small puffs.
“A certain black eye” I mumbled arranging the spaghetti strip of my simple navy blue dress.
“What makes you think that has anything to do with me? Or you, for that matter? Aren’t we egocentric…”
I smiled into my dress’ hem, unable to look at him straight in the face.
He sat by my side and continued to take long drags of his cigarette, Malboros, I could tell, and then expulsing the smoke in short puffs.
“Can I have one?” I asked him, signalling his cig.
“You smoke?” His astonishment amused me. I nodded and he took one from his jacket’s pocket, placing it lit between my lips. Why was he so…caring all of a sudden?
I voiced my concern. He stared at the jocks. Apparently I wouldn’t be getting a response for that question. I thought for a second and decided to try my luck by asking him another, “Why are you hiding?”
He stared at me and for a brief moment I didn’t know if I had totally fucked up. “You have to keep your enemies closer” his voice trailed off and I meditated upon his words. They seemed to finish grandpa’s trail of thoughts from the other day. He was right, I couldn’t continue to run away, I couldn’t be a coward! I smiled as I started to feel like myself again. We sat there without talking, each concentrated in the smoke, in and out, in and out. For some reason I finished mine before he did and started to stand to throw it away when someone grabbed my hand. I looked down and Gerard was looking at me: decision in his eyes. He pulled me down and kissed me gently on the lips. I couldn’t help to kiss him back, more passionately. He broke the kiss and I rested almost upon his chest as he finished his cigarette. For some reason I started crying, uncontrollably. He didn’t push me off; just let me blow some steam. By the time the bell rang I had already regained composure, Gerard had left and I had finished my lunch.

My phone rang repeatedly and for the first time in days I actually picked it up instead of throwing it away.
“Hey Kamz” I greeted her.
“What the fuck?” She asked, pretty pissed.
“Huh?”
“Don’t play dumb on me. Why have you been blowing me off? Is it because I left you with Mikey? I don’t recall having to ask you for permission to have sex with whomever I want!” She almost yelled.
“Um, no. I just…haven’t felt so good?” I invented
“Oh…” Her voice softened, “Is it because of your dad? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
“Yeah, that’s it…I just…y’know”
“I do. My mom’s a bitch. Since I didn’t do what she wanted me to do and moved here she hasn’t talked to me. It’s been almost three years now”
“I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. Not your fault. I just wanted to tell you I relate, in a way, I guess. Anyway, do come today to my place. We’re gonna bake a cake!” She cheered.
“Today I can’t. I’m not ditching I just have a Math Final tomorrow and if I fail I might fail the subject”
“You suck. But I believe you, I’ve seen your math grades…” She chuckled.
“Wadda ya mean by that?!” I shrieked.
“That bitch makes me help her from time to time as a punishment for cussing and I’ve seen most of yours. You suck big time” she emphasized the last part. I blushed.
“You’re mean!” I whined
“Yeah well,” Kamz mumbled in between laughs, “I’ll leave you to study, then. Any questions call my place and whiz kid there might help ya”
“Sure” I lied and hung up. I’ll call if I want to kill myself or something.

“Um, Gaby can we talk?” Mikey ask timidly as we left Math class (I totally failed the last test AND the one I had just made). He was now shy around me and analyzed stuff even more.
“I don’t like being called Gaby” I told him as I followed.
“Um, about that night…”
“Don’t ever try that again, you’re not coming unhurt next time around that neighbourhood mister” I told him quite seriously.
“I know…I’m s- I won’t do that again. Honest.” He stated. Did he think I missed his not being sorry about fingering me? HELL NO! I DIDN’T!
“Look smartie-pants, just keep your fingers and…everything were I can see them, ‘kay? You’re not sorry, can’t do anything about that just….use a pillow or something next time I don’t want to be your sex ed project.”
“So…we’re cool?”
“Under those conditions, yah” He motioned towards me, to hug me I guess. I backed away without thinking.
“Not that cool yet” I stammered as I walked away from him and made my way to the caf. He followed me.
We got there and sat at the table, the guys started talking about regular school stuff. I joined and in the middle of a pretty heated discussion against the French teacher. She and Kamz had gotten into a major fight. Gerard walked in front of us, holding an un-lit ciggie on his right hand.
“Hey guys I think I’m gonna go take a walk. Hey Mikey can you take my bag if I take too long? Thanks” I grinned as I walked out towards the football field.
I found Gerard in the same spot we had kissed the first time. We had been meeting there on the lunches he decided to ‘pick me up’ from the table.
He gave me a lit ciggie as I sat by his side and without a word we smoke. He had already finished by the time I was in the middle of mine. He took mine away from me and took a drag, then pressing his lips to mine. I puffed the smoke away and kissed him again and again. He took the ciggie and used his hand to dim it. He slipped in his tongue, which he hadn’t done before and I quickly followed his lead. It was so good sitting there with him. In between smoke and kisses.

“You stink” Kamz said as we met at Gerard’s car.
“Do I?”
“Yeah, cigarette.”
“Maybe ‘cause I smoke them?” I asked her sarcastically.
“Seriously? Since when?”
“Always. I just don’t like to do it in front of people…”
“Shit, those kids are egging my car!” Kamz ran away yelling threats at the now fleeing kids. I slipped into the backseat of the car and heard the tattoo of her boots as she ran after them. I closed my eyes trying to make the painstaking colic that was killing my belly go away.
A swift pair of lips crashed in mine and I was sure it was Gerard, not because he had been sitting by the steering wheel this whole time but by his thin lips, the way he bit my lip almost hungrily, how he liked to caress my lips with his tongue. He backed away after a minute or so and I wished he would just jump into the backseat with me.
I wanted us to make that backseat famous.